A global study released today, ‘Peak Season '25: The debut of agentic commerce?’, by Checkout.com, a leading digital payments company, highlights the consumer buying behaviour which is powering today’s digital economy. The research, conducted with 4000 consumers across the UK and US reveals a number of trends, including a growing appetite to hand over buying and purchasing power to ‘agentic AI’ - systems that can independently search, compare, and buy on behalf of shoppers.

The survey showed that UK consumers are preparing to hand over more of their shopping decisions to agentic AI, with 40% saying that they would be comfortable letting agentic AI take charge of everyday purchases they consider to be “boring” like groceries, phone bills, or household goods. On average, those willing to let AI transact on their behalf said they would do so up to a value of around £200 – revealing an emerging “trust threshold” for agentic commerce.

That appetite builds on habits already forming today. Many Brits are already turning to AI for shopping inspiration – 42% say they’ve used it to find gift ideas for a partner, while one in five (20%) have even asked AI to write birthday card messages. 

Yet while people are happy to use AI to seek inspiration for gifts, they’re less comfortable handing over full control to an agent. Four in ten (40%) respondents say letting agentic AI handle gifting feels “too impersonal” for gifts or special occasions, suggesting consumers want the technology to serve as a helper rather than a substitute for moments of choice and care.

These findings could point to a pivotal moment for UK commerce, as agentic AI has the potential to take the inconvenience out of everyday shopping, while preserving consumer choice for more personal, or enjoyable, purchases.

“Consumers are drawing a clear boundary: they want agentic AI to take away the friction of everyday purchases, but still make the choices that matter most to them,” said Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com. “As merchants shape their agentic commerce strategies, ensuring shoppers continue to enjoy the experience will be key to success. It’s not one-size-fits-all – the best strategies will blend automation with the human touch that keeps commerce personal.”

“The idea of AI running your shopping might sound futuristic, but consumers are already halfway there – they just need reassurance it’s safe,” said Jenny Hadlow, COO at Checkout.com. “Nearly half (48%) worry about losing control over what’s purchased through agentic AI, so merchants must balance convenience with security. Features like spending limits or category filters could give shoppers confidence as agentic commerce becomes reality.”

The data also points to a generational shift already underway. Seven in ten (70%) of 25–34 year olds say they would be happy to let AI agents handle transactions. Among this group, almost half (49%) report already using AI to support shopping decisions, from finding deals to comparing reviews.

However, fraud and security remain the biggest barriers. Four in ten (40%) shoppers worry about the risk of fraud or data misuse if autonomous agents start spending for them, and many say their willingness would depend on stronger protections such as guaranteed security (31%) or easier refunds and returns (30%). After recent, high profile data breaches, the research shows that trust will be the key to AI adoption.

Checkout.com is partnering with card networks and major global tech brands to bring payment security and storefront guardrails to agentic commerce. Specifically, Checkout.com has integrated new capabilities such as Visa Intelligent Commerce and the newly announced Visa Trusted Agent Protocol, Mastercard Agent Pay, and support for Google’s Agent Payment Protocol (AP2), an open-source framework that any enterprise or developer can adopt. These tools are designed to empower agents to transact safely and responsibly on behalf of consumers, while ensuring the payments experience remains seamless.

With the UK digital commerce market projected to reach almost $2 trillion by 2035, the integration of agentic AI could mark the next frontier in how consumers interact with retailers and payments systems. However, that adoption will hinge on building transparency, control mechanisms, and robust protections into every step of the AI-driven journey.